SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2018 23 Portugal begin final Russia preparations

Russian street artist Sergey Erofeev poses next to his mural depicting Argentina’s football star Giant mural tribute to KNOW WHAT It will be the Messi in Argentina team’s seventh AFP | Bronnitsy World Cup ap- pearance and ith his arms crossed the 33-year-old Wand a face bursting with Ronaldo’s fourth pride, Argentina superstar Li- When I was painting Messi, and likely last onel Messi towers above all campaign those on the main street of I was painting a Bronnitsy, a town of 20,000 legend of my time residents some 50 kilometres SERGEY EROFEEV from Moscow. Portugal’s forward (C) and teammates disembark from a plane at the Zhukovsky airport “When I was painting Mes- si, I was painting a legend of AFP | Moscow Ronaldo and his compatriots are scheduled to hold their pole position to come out on top my time,” says Sergey Erofeev, Eager to show his master- received a traditional Russian first team session at the Saturn in a Group B that also includes the artist responsible for the piece from all angles to curi- ristiano Ronaldo’s Por- welcome during a bread and salt training centre at 1130 local time Morocco and Iran. huge mural of Messi located ous passers-by, he explained tugal arrived yesterday ceremony upon arrival at their (0830 GMT) on Sunday. The top two teams from each on a wall just a short walk from how he won a competition to Cin Russia to begin final team base camp in Kratovo, a Fernando Santos’s side will group qualify for the last 16. Argentina’s World Cup team earn the honour of producing preparations for a World Cup leafy village 40km southeast need no reminding of the im- The Spaniards arrived at their base. a work to commemorate the campaign that pits them against of Moscow. The Real Madrid portance of their opening match own base in the southern Rus- “Messi is the best, he has five-time world player of the arch-rivals Spain. star was the last player off the against Spain, after a 4-0 de- sian city of Krasnodar on Thurs- lots of Ballons d’Or and Golden year. The European champions team bus escorted by police to feat by Germany in Brazil fours day. Portugal are ranked fourth Boots,” Erofeev, a well-built He added that he would like play their Iberian neighbours the team’s tournament head- years ago set the tone for a dis- by FIFA and won nine of their Russian who goes by the name for Messi to come and see the in the 2014 Winter Olympics quarters after touching down mal group stage exit. 10 European qualifying group “Esat786” on social media, painting at some stage during host city Sochi in the opening at Zhukosvky Airport on the The winner on June 15 at So- matches. It will be the team’s said. the tournament. match for both nations Friday. outskirts of Moscow. Portugal chi’s Fisht Stadium will be in seventh World Cup appearance. England’s Sterling relishes stage as No. 10 AFP | London ter City romped to the title in record-breaking resh from the best season of fashion and lifted the League Fhis career, Raheem Sterling Cup. Yet in keeping with his ca- has been handed the responsi- reer so far, there was still a feel- bility and role he craved by Eng- ing that more is to come if his land manager finishing can match the quality to deliver on his abundant po- of his skill and movement. tential at the World Cup. “The moment he is going to Sterling scored 23 goals in be able to increase (the num- all competitions as Manches- ber) of goals he will become one of the best players in the world because he has everything,” said City boss . “He is a fighter, he is dynamic, he’s Raheem Sterling so good, but he has to improve that.” To prove the point, Sterling from football. hasn’t scored in his last 20 Treated as a scapegoat during 23 games for England, stretching a series of poor England perfor- Number of goals scored by Raheem Sterling in all back to 2015. Sterling has also mances before a humiliating competitions had to cope with consistent exit to Iceland in the last 16 negative publicity from some of Euro 2016, Sterling dubbed sections of the English press, himself “The Hated One” on In- often for issues far removed stagram during the tournament.

Group E: No easy task for five-time champions TEAMS: Coach: Mladen Krstajic Don) This meeting will be cru- Brazil : FIFA ranking: 2 cial to both sides’ hopes of win- best achievement: Champion KEY GAME ning the section and, if history 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 Brazil-Switzerland (17 June is anything to go by, avoiding Coach: Tite 2018, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on- reigning world champions Ger- many in the last 16. It promises Switzerland : FIFA ranking: 6 to be an attractive encounter Best achievement: Quarter-fi- too, as Brazil pitch their enter- nals 1934, 1938, 1954 prising, attack-minded brand of Coach: Vladimir Petkovic football against a Switzerland side that might lack the same Costa Rica : FIFA ranking: 23 offensive firepower but nev- Best achievement: Quarter-fi- 1 ertheless boasts plenty of pace nals 2014 After Russia, Brazil were and a fondness for possession. Coach: Oscar Ramirez the first side to seal their Though the Swiss had to take place at Russia 2018 the play-off route to reach Rus- Serbia: FIFA ranking: 34 sia, they amassed an impressive Best achievement: 4th place 27 points in Group B of the Eu- 1930, 1962 ropean qualifiers.